Post by anon on Feb 17, 2007 16:45:21 GMT
From: rusticpeg Sent: 2/26/2006
I am looking at GPs but there are so many and so much to choose from.
Please, to help me and maybe others - state the make and model of GPS you use and the pros and cons. Please limit yoiur pros and cons to 3 bullet points either way and then grade your own value for money figure on top of that eg 6/10.
Example:
I have a MAKE ping pong, Model ding dong GPS.
for
1. big 42 inch LCD screen
2. runs off the bike battery
3. contains all the roads of all the countires in all the world and Mars.
Against or Cons.
1. screen is too big for the bike and reduces top speed to 23 mph and reduces fuel consumtption to 13 miles per gallon.
2. runs off the bike battery but this is now a 32 cell 24 volt battery that is carried in a trailer that I have to tow behind the bike.
3. Of the 143 languages it has none are understandable to me the nearest that I have heard of being Swahili and Klingon.
You get the idea I hope.
let yourselves go.................................................
From: Padster-1- Sent: 2/26/2006
I use a Garmin Quest.
Easy to use
Waterproof for use on bike
Easy to get mounts for.
You can run it off bike power via a cigarette lighter socket....................
and it works in a car. Nice sounding lady talking to you as well.
From: FJRBob1 Sent: 2/27/2006
Hi Miscy
I use a Garmin Street Pilot 3( called Gladys)
Pros
1 Big colour screen
2 Runs off 12v bike power
3 Lovely lady talks to me (but unlike a 'wife' I can switch Gladys off!)
Cons
1 Discontinued now ( but still available 2nd hand)
2 Slow to re-draw map
3 Not really portable,bit like carrying a brick!
Gladys can be used either in the car or on the bike,is waterproof and until she breaks down will do me fine.
As with any Pc 'garbage in-garbage out', you have to be very careful planning your routes, as I've found out several times!! but for crossing any big town or city, forget signposts-just listen to the soothing voice of Gladys and you'r out the other side in no time.
HTH
Regards Bob
From: TJ63◘ Sent: 2/27/2006
Garmin Quest
For
1) Colour screen
2) Automatic rerouting with voice
3) Waterproof
Against
1) Screen a bit small (but this could also be a For!)
2) Need additional gear to bike mount
3) Now superseded by Quest 2, which costs more
Trevor
From: billywhizz600s Sent: 2/27/2006
have Medion from Aldi...
for;
cheap. £214 !
small screen
runs off cigarette socket. (must connect one to bike !)
use for bike and car..
nice lady wot talks to you
can get europe maps installed
connects to intaride RP1 unit
Against.
not waterproof. put in tank bag anyway !!
batteries would only run for couple of hours, but are rechargeable.
From: Fiasco Sent: 2/27/2006
Garmin 5
For:
Easily moved from bike to car and portable for hiking etc
Runs of bike power lead, car ciggy socket or batteries
Easy to use
Cheap to buy second hand off a mate ;-)
Against:
Only 19mb of maps can be stored at a time so need to download the area you are going to,
Black and white smallish screen
Can be a bit slow re-drawing
Dave :-)
From: Fiasco Sent: 2/27/2006
oh and it's waterproof !
From: ianboydsnr Sent: 2/27/2006
Quest
for
1, has battery which lasts most of the day
2, can program routs on the computer
3, as above
against
1, powered mount costs £45
2, only 2d display
3, anti reflective screen can wear out easly.
Garmin i3
for
1, full post code search
2, uses AA batterys(don't know how long they last)
3, you can download where all of mcdonalds are and other services and femails can even use it
Against
1, £21 for bike mount, though you need to know where to find them
2, non waterproof, so needs clingfilmed
3, hard to find for the £99 I bought one for
From: VerdeFalco Sent: 2/28/2006
We just got an ACER N35 lite for £194 from comet.
Pros.
1)Its a PDA with windows mobile on it (word, excel, media player 10 etc) can get wireless card to connect to the internet.
2)Has an inbuilt GPS reciever, can put tomtom software on, but comes with designator software (it works but not the best out there
3)Comes with car charger and windscreen mount, can be modifyed to fit bike (we have)
4) Can upgrade memory card (its SD/ MMC), We have 1Gb that has tomtom, 2 full maps (england and france) and netherlands area
5) Tomtom seems to refresh maps very quickly (well quick enough for us to navigate with)
Con
1) Does not come with mains charger (can use an MP3 player 5V charger like my creative one)
2) Not waterproof can get waterproof covers
3) Cant think of any more.......
Peter and Bob
From: TJ63◘ Sent: 2/28/2006
3, anti reflective screen can wear out easly.
What do you mean, Ian. I just bought my Quest, so I'm curious. Do you mean the screen scratches easily, or just gets impossible to see?
Trevor
From: DD-FJR Sent: 2/28/2006
Trevor
The Quest has a thin "Anti Glare" coating on the screen (Looks like the screen has a blue tint).
After a while, this can come of, like mine has, if you have your Quest fitted to the bike and the sun shines on the screen, you can't see it very clearly.
On the other hand, if you have just bought a Quest, did you get the New "Quest 2" ?
If you did this has the "Anti-Glare Glass" and not just a coating.
There is a spray available that will re-coat the screen, I am trying to get some at the moment but its only available in America at the moment.
HTH
Colin
PS: If you use your Interide system, you can get the cable that allows the speach from the quest to be heard through the Interride (I have done this and hardly look at the Quest now, so its not a problem )
From: ©Doofer Sent: 2/28/2006
'have Medion from Aldi...
for;
cheap. £214 !
small screen
runs off cigarette socket. (must connect one to bike !)
use for bike and car..
nice lady wot talks to you
can get europe maps installed
connects to intaride RP1 unit
Against.
not waterproof. put in tank bag anyway !!
batteries would only run for couple of hours, but are rechargeable.'
My GPS is the same as Roger's
a few extra points
For
comes with water-resistant cases, bike & windscreen mounts & mains & car chargers
Against
unit is too large to mount between the handlebar clamps on the 600s(may be able to space out the clamp out a little to work around that)
A preview of the route it plans to use would be nice (is this option available on any other models?)
Postcodes can be used, but only the first half, ie you can use a postcode to find a town, but not a street
Roger, I have emailed you about the accessory socket, let me know whether you recieved the mail
Doof
From: Fiasco Sent: 2/28/2006
Colin
Quest and Intaride ..............
Are the bike power and speech cables seperate or combined in some way ?
Curious
Dave
From: DD-FJR Sent: 2/28/2006
Not sure what you meen Dave !
The Quest is Bike powered from its own supply, the cradle it sit's in has its own supply via a relay and through the side lights.
The cable for speach is from the cradle the Quest sit's in and then run's directly into the Interide.
When listening to music, the Quest will give a direction change and the music is cut (just like when you have a phone connected or even the PMR Radio)
I had to get a cable for the Quest to Interide from Maplins @ £2.95 other than that everything works just as it should.
You will see it soon as Martin has said about riding up for a Postcombe Test Ride :-)
If you want any photo's email me and I shall send some to you.
HTH
Colin
From: Fiasco Sent: 3/1/2006
Hi Colin
Thanks for that, I will have a look when I see your bike. Don't worry about pics as I am not in a hurry to upgrade.
I was just curious as to whether there were two seperate power supplies, ie one for the Quest and one for the cradle.
My Garmin V just has the one but doesn't have speech.
Collected my bike from the workshop last night, and he had the cheek to say I had more than my fair share of gadgets ! Best Speighty don't go along there :-)
Cheers
Dave :-)
From: TSJ Sent: 3/1/2006
Colin
I bought some screen protectors for the Quest (no, it's not a Quest 2), so hopefully this will help to keep the screen OK for a while.
For connecting to the Intaride, I got a QPac gizmo along with a RAM mount and cradle. Intaride plugs straight in, and there's a trailing lead used to connect the power. The QPac sandwiches between the diamond-shaped plate on the RAM mount and the cradle, so it's a neat set up. Not cheap though!
Ram mount is RAM-B-149Z
QPAC QPAC01-35
Cradle is RAM-HOL-GA15
www.gpsw.co.uk/relitems.html?ProdID=2827
Trevor
From: ianboydsnr Sent: 3/1/2006
Doof
I have a a 12v accessory socket that i have removed the curly lead from, it has solder connectors though, but may be usefull, if you want to fit an accessory socket to your bike, mail me if you want it.
From: ©Doofer Sent: 3/1/2006
Thanks Ian,
Reaper kindly fitted one to mine a couple of weeks back, I had been trying to source a marine spec one for Roger, but Maplins have now discontinued them and there were none left in stock locally.(apparently I'd bought the last one)
I emailed him explaining the situation and giving him the part number so he could source one nearer to home, which fortunately he has managed.
Thankyou very much for your kind offer Ian, someone else may well take you up on it
Doof
From: ianboydsnr Sent: 3/1/2006
this place does some
www.sailgb.com/
From: DD-FJR Sent: 3/1/2006
Thats the one Trevor
I never thought about Screen protectors
Ho well, never mind
From: Tigger Sent: 3/5/2006
Trevor
Where did you get the screen protectors from? As mine is still ok screen wise mine would benefit from them.
Cheers
Matt
From: TJ63◘ Sent: 3/6/2006
Matt
I got the screen protectors from an Ebay seller in Germany.
cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5857598719&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&rd=1
I bought 2 packs of 6, then you get a pack free.
Trevor
From: TJ63◘ Sent: 3/6/2006
The screen on mine had picked upa couple of light scratches on the day I bought it, so I think the protectors were a good investment at 33p each. Shame to ruin a £250 GPS for the sake of that.
Trevor
with this in place and was as solid as a rock. (See pic 2.)
Currently riding.... Diversion 900 1995 & Triumph Sprint ST 1999 
but have managed to load my Memory Map Ordnance Survey software & maps onto it & it works a treat. It shows where I am and where I've been too! All on a scaleable O.S. map screen! Wikid! 
